1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of treating demestic and industrial waste waters and more particularly to a method of placing waste waters in condition for subsequent purification treatments.
2. Description of Related Arts
Numerous treating techniques for the purification of waste waters have beem employed as commercial treating methods and even more numerous processes have been disclosed in the prior art for accomplishing this purpose. These processes, however, do not address the problems facing domestic water consumers located in areas where sewers are not employed, particularly around lakes and other bodies of water where septic drainage systems are not permitted by law, nor do they address the problems confronting small manufacturers of various materials where the treatment of their waste water discharge is just not economically feasible on the site. Further, there is generally no procedures available for treating certain wastes which may have been stored by various techniques permitted in the past, but which are now prohibited by law. In certain instances, there are prohibitions by various governmental bodies, against transporting liquid toxic containing materials. Regardless of the source of the materials whether they are found in abandon landfills, are generated in the production of conventional products or the like, a danger exists in the transport of these materials in liquid form to a site where treatment can be performed in order to render them environmentally harmless.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,284 issued Aug. 16, 1988 , teaches a method of removing heavy metals from water by passing the heavy metal containing water waste through a fluidized bed containing alkali metal carbonates or hydrogen carbonates containing seed crystals of the metal being removed wherein the formed heavy metal carbonates crystallize on the bed seed material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,032 issued May 21, 1974 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,637 issued Jun. 15, 1976, the latter being a division of the former, suggest a process and composition respectively for flocculating liquid wastes wherein amongst other things, the composition may include small quantities of alkali metal carbonates and bicarbonates.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,499 issued Apr. 2, 1974 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,853 issued Oct. 28, 1975, the latter being a continuation-in-part of the former, suggests a method of treating liquid sewage containing inorganic and organic components to precipitate out heavy metals by adding alkali metal carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides or mixtures thereof. The material added is in relative small quantities. This treatment is followed by subsequent treatment to render the sewage water suitable for drinking.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,693 issued Feb. 25, 1969 teaches the extraction of beryllium, vanadium, molybdenum, or tungsten from silicon, aluminum, iron or calcium present as gangue values in ores or concentrations of these metals with an aqueous extracting solution containing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in a molar ratio of 1:1 and having a concentration of from about 1 to 50% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,558 issued Feb. 18, 1969 relates to a composition and method for treating water by utilizing carbon dioxide releasing components including ammonium and alkali metal carbonates and bicarbonates to disperse high molecular weight water soluble polymers which are employed to clarify the water.
While these various references deal with specific methods of treating or purifying water generally and in some cases waste water specifically, they do not at all relate to the problem being dealt with in this specification nor do they offer a solution thereto. In most, if not all, waste water treating facilities are only economical when large quantities of water are being purified to the point where the effluent can be discharged into naturally occurring bodies of water such as streams, rivers and lakes. In situations where small quantities of materials are being handled, it is not economically feasible for each of the facilities to treat their waste to bring about this result. Therefore, the waste must be collected in a suitable fashion to prevent possible harm to the environment and physically moved to a facility specifically designed for handling such waste materials.
Local ordinances and state and federal statutes specify the manner and means by which various waste materials can be stored, handled, transported and the like. In rural areas not having public sewage systems, local ordinances set forth the requirements for the handling of waste water particularly with regard to riparian homeowners. In many cases, septic drainage fields are not permitted because of the possibility that the effluent from the drainage field will leak into the river, lake or other body of water. The waste water is first subjected to the action of a septic tank and then held in a hold tank until it is carted away in a suitable tank truck vehicle to be disposed of by various methods. This is not always the most desirable technique employed because of the possibility of spillage and possible environmental pollution problems that result therefrom.
In small facilities, such as small manufacturing, chemical, synthesis or various treating facilities, such as tanning shops and the like, various materials that are used in the facility or generated at by products in the facility must be properly disposed of whether that entails treatment at the site or by transporting to another facility or specialty company that can properly treat the waste material to render it harmless. Depending upon the nature of the waste material, there may be prohibitions against transporting the material while in the liquid form and therefore, there is a need for converting the waste into a solid form in order that it may be transported to the site for further treatment.
A need also arises where toxic chemicals are discovered in landfill sites or other places where they represent a hazard. Perhaps they were placed years ago before environmental considerations were addressed or before the enactment of legislation controlling such sites or perhaps they were placed illegally. However, regardless how the material got to the particular point, it requires attention and most cases must be transported to a suitable facility for treatment to render it harmless. Thus, in the situations enumerated herein which are only a few of the possible sources of waste materials, there is a definite need for handling waste material without endangering the environment.